Evening light

Photography for me began as a quest to understand the world around me. Now as a more mature man I still use photography to express what I see and it is still a wonderful quest. The creation is still a wonder to me, but I no longer wonder what life is all about. Life is about Jesus and life is to glorify God. I walked in the park tonight after sundown. It was cold and the walk was brisk and refreshing. It is amazing to me what can be seen in a short walk.

The Mallards quacked and hurriedly swam towards me. Oops I forgot to bring bread, again.

John 6:35  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 

In the still of the second pond, distant trees are reflected and tall grass is silhouetted against the dim light. So quiet and so reflective in the spirit as I watched. God lives.

Psa 92:7  When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever: 
Psa 92:8  But thou, LORD, art most high for evermore. 
Psa 92:9  For, lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. 
Psa 92:10  But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil. 
Psa 92:11  Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me. 
Psa 92:12  The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 
Psa 92:13  Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. 
Psa 92:14  They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; 
Psa 92:15  To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. 

The dim light muted the bright yellow leaves. The shadows gave witness to the cool light after sundown.

Isa 60:1  Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 
Isa 60:2  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 
Isa 60:3  And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. 
Isa 60:4  Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 

The giant oaks behind the pool hug in the last glow of light.

Gen 35:6  So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. 
Gen 35:7  And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother. 
Gen 35:8  But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth (oak of weeping). 
Gen 35:9  And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. 
Gen 35:10  And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. 

What is this picture taken from the car on the way home? It is civilization, a person's idea of the Christmas season.  Hmmm? What is Christmas about? I see Santa, reindeers, toys, bright lights, candy canes; Frosty the snowman too. A childs view of Christmas. Where is Jesus? God bless this home and may God be close in this season for all to enjoy. You and I are to tell the rest of the story.

Isa 52:7  How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! 

Isa 52:8  Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. 

Isa 52:9  Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. 

Isa 52:10  The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. 

Watchmen

Joh 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

Joh 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

I read these words spoken by Jesus and began to meditate on what this means.

Night can be death or darkness. We must finish our work before night comes. Other thoughts about the night: In the night evil people come out. Night can refer to sadness or anguish, but in Christ we can be encouraged in the night. The night is a time for dreams and visions too.

The watchman watches in the night. A watchman looks out for danger or trouble. A spiritual watchman watches always and tells the church what he hears. Some like the prophets are given the gift of hearing from and speaking the message of God.

Psa 127:1 A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

Jer 31:28 And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD.

If a people in a city or nation do not want God in their lives then anything can happen; natural disasters, sinful violence, fire and mayhem. I can foresee much calamity coming to our cities because a generation has leaders who mostly do not obey God and do not want him in public life. May the LORD watch over us and guide us.

Isa 21:6 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.

The LORD's watchman warns the people of spiritual dangers. David Wilkerson was a watchman who warned us of a coming economic disaster. He warned us and told us to prepare.

Jer 51:12 Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes: for the LORD hath both devised and done that which he spake against the inhabitants of Babylon.

Eze 3:17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

Eze 3:18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Is there blood on our hands because we did not warn those we were told to warn?

Hosea 9:7 The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.

They had prophets and preachers preaching prosperity and ease, but this was not what God was saying. They were foolish and as madmen. Often they treated the truth spoken with contempt. Because of their iniquity they hated the messengers of God.

Isa 44:25 That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;

Eze 13:7 Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit I have not spoken?

Hosea 9:8 The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.

The true watchmen, the prophets who warn the people, are hated, even in the house of God.

The prophet is to speak the word of God. The Pastor or teacher who hears from God is to share what he hears. Jesus made us all watchmen and witnesses to the lost.

Jesus heard from God and told us many things and he warned us of hell

Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Mat 18:9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

Mat 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Mat 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Jesus also spoke of eternal life

Mat 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

1Jn 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
1Jn 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

The church has an obligation to share the word of God and to warn the lost while it is day. A time will come when we are no longer in this place and have passed on by death to everlasting life. We are to share our Lord with those who are sent to us.

Wait, watch carefully and obey when you hear from the LORD

Psa 130:5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
Psa 130:6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

Psa 141:2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Psa 141:3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

It seems that Christians are often too busy fighting with each other thinking that they are doing the Lord's work. I think many have turned from our message because of our fighting with each other. We are to love one another; however their are wolves among us.

Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Luk 21:33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
Luk 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
Luk 21:35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
Luk 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.